Field Hockey Canada > Canada drops second game of Four Nations Tournament in Dublin

For the second consecutive match, the Canadian Women’s National Field Hockey Team started well against a team higher than it in the world rankings at the 2014 Four Nations Invitational tournament in Dublin. But for the second straight day, Canada could not turn that good start into a positive result, losing 5-0 to World No. 15 and tournament host Ireland.

Much like Saturday’s match versus Chile, the Canadians had the first good chance to score Sunday when Maddie Secco (Victoria, B.C.) found herself in prime scoring position after an Irish giveaway, but was not able to put the ball by goalkeeper Beatriz Wirth.

The Irish were able to settle in quite quickly after Secco’s chance, building the attack and finally breaking through in the twenty-sixth minute as Anna O’Flanagan beat Canadian keeper Lauren Logush, who was seeing her first action of the tournament. Ireland held the 1-0 lead heading into the half.

Again, the Canadians were likely happy with their first half, holding a strong Irish attack to only one goal and having the game within reach with only one half to go.

In the second, however, the host team exploded for four goals in fifteen minutes, starting in the fifty-forth minute with Deidre Duke’s tally giving Ireland a 2-0 lead. Then, in the sixty-third minute, Cliodhna Sargent beat Logush off a penalty corner to make it 3-0 for Ireland.

The Irish attack did not relent as in the sixty-sixth minute Naomi Carroll knocked one in to make it 4-0, and then Duke nothced her second of the game to make it 5-0.

In some better news for Canada, Sunday’s match marked the 50th international cap for Brienne Stairs (Kitchener, ON).

View the full matchsheet here.

The Canadians will have an even tougher task ahead of them in the final game of the of the round robin on Tuesday when they take on World No. 4 New Zealand. Despite the result versus the Kiwis, Canada will then play in the 3rd vs 4th place game on Wednesday against one of Ireland or Chile.

Live match updates can be found @IrishHockey.